Game improvement irons

I'm curious - what pushes a set of irons into the game improvement category (aside from the cavity back and wider sole)?

I read that with game improvement irons, the ball launch angle is slightly higher vs player irons. To my newbie mind, this means that a ball gets better elevation but would also lose distance. Is that correct?

And, yes, I'm downgrading my irons.

TS

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mUAr_cHEeHall of Fame Golfer

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Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:51 am

Technospaz wrote:

what pushes a set of irons into the game improvement category (aside from the cavity back and wider sole)?

What I meant was between, for example, the 6i of the MX-100 and the MP-58. But don't bother answering, MC, since I can only expect scathing comments from you these days

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mUAr_cHEeHall of Fame Golfer

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Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:03 am

oi oi oi.... wad talking u...

eh.. u know me lah... the MX is supposed to be easier to hit, bigger club head and all... the MPs are blades... only the purest ball striking, the ball will be able to fly...

mUAr_cHEeHall of Fame Golfer

Posts : 7236Join date : 2009-06-19Location : Sillypore

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:11 am

ok. perhaps, i was too short-ish in my answers....

anyway... if u are comparing me to the likes of bb, redbull and Kuai-Lan... pls i am not worthy. the kind of comebacks, they come up with... i cannot match... evident in my verbal wars with my arch-nemisis.

anyway... the loft difference say between a P of an MX series and an MP series is probably 1 or 2 degrees... that is why higher ball flight and shorter distance? and also do not forget the shaft difference as well.... the NSPros launch higher than the PXs... u can go and see the specs of the irons that u are comparing in manufacturer's website... wider soles and other marketing/technology crap they throw in a club head... well... they do help in a certain extend either physically... or not... mentally... wad i mean mentally? think power balance...

pushsliceCaddy

Posts : 5606Join date : 2009-12-26

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:19 am

but mc is right...the term GI and SGI is marketing-designed to help consumers choose.

tech specs wise, my guess would be lower vertical CoG (hence ball easier to launch on a less "pro" swing), a higher MOI (hence forgiveness on toe/heel hits) - how high MOI and how low CoG? depends on the manufacturer.

I thought Ralph Maltby's theories on clubhead playability is interesting/useful.

TechnospazAdvisor

Posts : 15650Join date : 2009-06-18Age : 41Location : Typically OOB

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:22 am

Ahhh.... MC is back. I prefer this MC to that smelly rotten scoundrel earlier. Thanks for the feedback.

Thanks to PS too. Good feedback.

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duffaderHall of Fame Golfer

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Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:23 am

Actually, i dun see a difference in distance if the loft are the same. Generally, G.I irons allow the players to achieve the sweet spot hitting much easier. Whereas the players irons allows the player to shape the ball when he needs to. But if there is a miss hit on both the players irons and G.I irons, i think the G.I irons will go further.

One example is my arch nemesis, he uses a players irons, when he hit it pure, its definitely solid... but when he doesn't... i end my comments here...

golfool2009Super Active Golfer

Posts : 1313Join date : 2010-06-14

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:33 am

TS, don't change irons buddy...the one thing you give up is feel....as easy as my G15s are to launch, i can't really tell if i'm hitting it square or not (except, of course, when it lands the opposite of where i'm aiming)...

g15's are one degree stronger and the advantage of GI or SGI is that it's easier to get off the ground....

after being poisoned at last week's SSN trying captain's RAZR and Pushslice's TM TP irons, i am really regretting changing to these irons....

DGmanHall of Fame Golfer

Posts : 6384Join date : 2009-06-18

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:38 am

just hit the god-damned ball and stop thinking about the irons. if you are defeated before you hit your irons, get a new set that you "think will suit you better".

if you are running a marathon do you want to think of your shoes? its your stamina, focus and grind that will help you finish the race.

btw some of the best runners still run bare footed if conditions permit.

DGman

zhenxuaIncredibly Active Golfer

Posts : 4638Join date : 2010-02-11

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:41 am

GI has bigger "sweet spot" ie ball will still fly if you mishit slightly, and SGI has even bigger "sweet spot"

however, if you can consistently hit the sweet spot on a player's iron, you will experience loss of distance in the GI and SGI

TechnospazAdvisor

Posts : 15650Join date : 2009-06-18Age : 41Location : Typically OOB

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:43 am

Duffy, thanks - that's good feedback. I agree that with a GI, you can get distance even if you mishit but shaping the ball is more tricky.

GF, thanks also for the feedback. I agree that GI (or SGI) don't have as much feel. But I'll be honest, if I'm hitting the ball pure/sweet on a non-GI, then the feel is amazing but if I mishit (which is common), the only feeling I have is loathing for myself and the small rodents nearby. Right now, all I want is to get the ball in the air and give it some distance. I'm also working on getting a coach too. So much to do!

DGMan, you know... that's what I was thinking earlier. Perhaps we're overly analyzing the gear and not focusing on what is more important, i.e. the swing.

... and yes, when I'm running a marathon (which is typically the sprint to the moving ice-cream van), I do think of my shoes but that's only because I've got wide feet... ouch!

ZX, isn't that the same argument with drivers? With the big 460cc heads, the sweet spot is bigger giving you more forgiveness but less ability to shape the ball and possibly loss of smash power. But with the smaller 420cc heads, the sweet spot is smaller but you giveget power and control (if you can get the ball on that spot that is)

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Last edited by Technospaz on Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:44 am; edited 1 time in total

eijiCourse Marshal

Posts : 6193Join date : 2009-08-22Age : 35Location : Training

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:43 am

Game improvement irons tend to use stronger lofts hence you would actually see longer/larger distance gaps between a set of game improvement iron vs a players iron.

Stronger lofts meaning a if MP68 PW is 47*ish a MX200 PW would be 45*ish, hence on the same player, a MX200 PW would fly further than a MP68 PW. Also game improvement irons have usually lower CG on the heads to produce a higher launch, this is to help players to get the ball airbourne, meaning to say if you strike ball on the 1st groove on the clubface you would be able to get the ball higher and hence the lost of distance/forgiveness is better on game improvement irons.

the above is my own words, I may be wrong. i went from Game improvement MX200s to MP14s, found out i like playing better with MP14s but it was too unforgiving on misshits and now have settle on my AP2s which i am very pleased with. I reckon you should find out for yourself what is good for yourself(your MX300s are very nice, don't think you should change at all)

I know a local pro who went from Cobra CBs to Callaway X22s. His scores got better. He still can back spin from back of the green to the front of the green.

That's some killer backspin!

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pushsliceCaddy

Posts : 5606Join date : 2009-12-26

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:21 am

Murugiah from Warren played AP1 and won SPGA tournaments. Then he probably got poisoned by Miura's sex appeal, saw him hitting Miura about two/three weeks ago.

Then last week, I saw him on the range playing AP1 again. TianHan told me the Miuras are just difficult to hit for him, and this was coming from a PRO leh....

Techno...your MX300 is GOOOD. I like those tweeners, not so GI, not so pro...like Ping i15

BTW, I just bought a set of Ping i15 with KBS Hopefully arrive in time to play in LO-HEI game

golfbeginnerVery Active Golfer

Posts : 818Join date : 2009-12-24Age : 37Location : Around the corner

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:22 am

eiji wrote:

sold them to someone here for 700 i think.

if you are looking for a set, consider getting it from ebay.

Wow can sell so high meh????

TechnospazAdvisor

Posts : 15650Join date : 2009-06-18Age : 41Location : Typically OOB

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:27 am

golfbeginner wrote:

eiji wrote:

sold them to someone here for 700 i think.

if you are looking for a set, consider getting it from ebay.

Wow can sell so high meh????

MX-200s are one of the hottest GI clubs out there. They may not be new (in Mizuno's line-up) but they still command a very high price.

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TechnospazAdvisor

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Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:32 am

pushslice wrote:

Murugiah from Warren played AP1 and won SPGA tournaments. Then he probably got poisoned by Miura's sex appeal, saw him hitting Miura about two/three weeks ago.

Then last week, I saw him on the range playing AP1 again. TianHan told me the Miuras are just difficult to hit for him, and this was coming from a PRO leh....

Techno...your MX300 is GOOOD. I like those tweeners, not so GI, not so pro...like Ping i15

BTW, I just bought a set of Ping i15 with KBS Hopefully arrive in time to play in LO-HEI game

The MX-300s are lovely clubs but may be too much club for me. If you check out reviews, you'll see that they are considered more like "forgiving player irons" rather than GIs. I'm not planning on selling my MX-300s (yet) but may look to a blended set, e.g. 4i-6i MX-200, 7i-9i MX-300?

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nutty88Super Active Golfer

Posts : 1158Join date : 2009-07-01Age : 48Location : Little Red Dot

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:55 am

Bro TS,

If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

The Player Clubs have the look good factor only. In terms of shot shaping, how many of the social hackers can do that on demand really? How pure is our ball striking most of the time? In terms of feel, there were numerous occassions when I felt really good on how well I struck the ball but results showed otherwise.

IMHO, I will stick with the GI clubs.

TechnospazAdvisor

Posts : 15650Join date : 2009-06-18Age : 41Location : Typically OOB

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:59 am

nutty88 wrote:

Bro TS,

If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

The Player Clubs have the look good factor only. In terms of shot shaping, how many of the social hackers can do that on demand really? How pure is our ball striking most of the time? In terms of feel, there were numerous occassions when I felt really good on how well I struck the ball but results showed otherwise.

IMHO, I will stick with the GI clubs.

Thanks, mate. I agree.

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KhorkarIncredibly Active Golfer

Posts : 2978Join date : 2009-06-19Age : 42Location : Sinkapoh

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 12:22 pm

TS,If you want something that is cheap and good to use. Try out Akira AP01. You can still get them at Cash converter for less than 300. Its forged and looks and look/feel like a GI clubs.

pushsliceCaddy

Posts : 5606Join date : 2009-12-26

Subject: Re: Game improvement irons Mon Jan 17, 2011 1:52 pm

TS, someone is looking for MX300 on mktplace Must you play a forged set? Golfool is fighting his own desire to play sexy player clubs..his G15 could be available if you ask and prod him. Match your driver with irons, who knows you can break 80 like Gfool did Talk about magic potion.